Finnish University Students’ Views of the Strengths of Foreign Language Courses

Abstract

Compared with younger language learners, adult learners are assumed to have greater difficulty with language learning, for instance, in reaching native-like proficiency. Most studies in the area of second language acquisition and foreign language education have focused on younger learners, with the research on adult language learning being very limited. Through an analysis of previous studies on adult language learning and small-scale empirical research, this article examines students’ views of the strengths and good practices of foreign language courses in university language courses other than English. The questionnaire data collected from university students (N = 53) learning French, German and Italian as L3/L4 at the language centre of a Finnish university were analysed in a qualitative and quantitative way. The strongest evidence from our study was the indispensable role of teachers in university language courses. The analysis results indicate a mismatch between teacher-led and student-centred pedagogy. On the one hand, adult learners seemed to need strong guidance from the teacher, yet on the other hand, the best practices in the courses were those activities in which the adult learners could produce the target language in interactions with their peers. Finally, the factors that enhance adult language learning in higher education are reflected upon.